McDonald's in Australia captures local attachment to brand

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The Australians seem to have a nick name for everything, McDonald's being no exception. Here, we find that the Maccas nickname gaining o...

The Australians seem to have a nick name for everything, McDonald's being no exception. Here, we find that the Maccas nickname gaining official status, strengthening local attachment to the fast food chain.

By Karn G. Bulsuk

Australians, as a multicultural nation, has a tendency to take things from other places and make it theirs. McDonald’s is no exception, with the Aussies effectively renaming it “Maccas”.

In a nod to the importance of becoming local, McDonald’s also transliterates its name to put on signs and advertising. In Japan for example, the name becomes an almost un-prounceable “McDoronaldo”.

In Australia though, it looks like that the Golden Arches have gone one additional step, and actually adopted the Maccas nickname that Aussies have given to them. In the past few months before Australia Day, they’ve been putting out TV advertisements with the familiar “M” logo, accompanied with the Maccas name instead of the typical McDonalds. They’ve gone as far as to replace the signs of a prominent restaurant in central Melbourne with the nickname.

I think its an excellent way to tap into local attachment to a brand, acknowledge it and even further the attachment by making it official. It is truly an excellent way to win the hearts and minds of your customers.